Cut-off knife for winders and unwinders



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CUT-OFF KNIFE FOR WINDERS AND UNWINDERS -Fil ed Sept. 5, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR Arrow/5r CUT-OFF KNIFE FOR WINDERS AND UNWINDERS Filed Sept 3, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 "'1 INVENTOR. P ied JdZaiZ/Aj rr w United States Patent 3,365,141 CUT-OFF KNIFE FGR WINDERS AND UNWINDERS Fred Soloduk, Belle Mead, N..l., assignor to Frank W. Egan & Company, Somerville, N.J., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Sept. 3, 1965, Ser. No. 484,871 3 Claims. (Cl. 242-56) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A web is continuously longitudinally moved in one direction and in contact with a portion of the peripheral surface of a drum, a knife blade having a serrated cutting edge is disposed transversely of the web and there is means for actuating said blade toward and momentarily holding it in proximity to said peripheral portion of the drum. The blade is movably mounted on said means and is-actuated at high velocity to force its serrated cutting edge into the web on said portion of the drum.

This invention relates to continuous winding and unwinding apparatus for web materials and in particular to improvements to winders of the surface winding type wherein the winding roll is driven by surface contact with one or more driven drums. The invention also relates to unwinders of the type wherein the unwinding or expiring roll of material is held in contact with a rotating drum which may be driven or braked as desired to obtain the required tension in the web as it leaves the roll.

This invention is applicable to single drum winders of the type, for example, as shown in US. Patent No. 1,248,542 to Pope and to double drum winders of the continuous type, for example, as shown in US. Patent No. 2,812,910 to Egan. These winders are operated in a continuous manner in that the moving web is transferred from a fully wound roll to a new core or mandrel and winding is started on the new core or mandrel all without stopping or slowing down the web.

One serious problem that has existed for many years in operation of the single drum winder has been the difliculty of severing the web at the time of transfer from the fully wound roll to the new core and obtaining a good start on the new core. One of the means used is shown in US. Patents Nos. 2,528,713 to Thompson and No. 2,920,836 to De Bell and No. 2,837,293 to Clem and which consists of blowing the web upward, around the new core and thence into the nip between the new core and the winding drum by means of air blasts. Immediately after starting winding on the new core, the web becomes taut between the nip and the fully wound roll and then rips. There are several serious disadvantages to this operation among which are the fact that the initial layers of web on the new core are doubled by virtue of being folded over and, therefore, must be subsequently discarded, and the fully wound roll must be removed from contact with the drum prior to the transfer to allow the passage of the air blast which results in loss of drive to the roll and a consequent loss of tension in the outer layers of the roll. It is also not possible to use this method with webs that are relatively heavy and non-flexible as they cannot be moved by the air or with webs that have a high tensible strength since they will not tear.

In order to overcome the above difficulties various means of severing the moving web with manual or automatic knives have been proposed and used in the art. The simplest of these is to make a cut transversely across the moving web just prior to the point at which the web contacts the driving drum by means of a manual or automatic knife, said cut resulting in a bias cut across the ice web with the leading edge of the cut web forming a V or angle with the longitudinal edge of the web, such angle being dependent on the relative velocities of the web and the knife. At the same time the new core, which has previously been prepared with adhesive on its surface is brought into contact with the moving web on the drum whereupon the V of the leading edge adheres to the core and commences winding on the core. In order to assure that the V edge follows the same path into the nip of the core and the drum as the uncut portion of the web, it is necessary to adjust the knife speed relative to cut so that the V is approximately 45 or less, the consequence of which is that several layers of the material will be wound on one end of the core before winding is started on the other end resulting in a wound roll larger in diameter at one end, which becomes a serious problem especially when winding relatively thick webs. It is also difiicult to use this type of web severing with very thin webs or those with little tensile strength as the web will often rip entirely across its width when the cut is started.

US. Patent 3,091,412 to Chambon shows a rotary knife which accomplishes a square cut but which is expensive to make and also requires complicated and expensive means to guide the leading edge of the severed web around the drum and into the nip of the core and drum.

Another severing means is disclosed in US. Patent 2,915,255 to Phelps where the web is severed between the new core and the fully wound roll by means of an auxiliary guide roll which lifts the web off the drum prior to cutting. However, this requires that auxiliary drive means he provided to drive the winding roll after it has been removed from contact with the winding drum in order to maintain tension in the web between the winding roll and the new core.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide improved means of winding a web on a single drum winder wherein the moving web is transferred from a fully wound roll to a new core without slowing down or stopping the winding operation.

A further object is to provide a novel and improved means to sever the moving web on a single drum winder in order that the above means be accomplished.

Another object is to provide said severing means which are capable of providing a square cut on webs varying from very thin to thick and will start the web on a new core without fold back or wrinkling.

A further object is to provide said means which are simple, inexpensive to make and install as integral parts of new winders and also can be easily installed on existing winders in the field.

Another object is to provide said means which can cut and transfer a moving web which has been slit into multiple webs side by side prior to the winder and accomplish this transfer onto the new core without interleaving of the several webs.

An additional object is to provide said web severing means which can be used on winders of the two drum type, an example of which is shown in US. Patent 2,812,910 to Egan.

As hereinbefore indicated the invention contemplates the improvement of the operation of unwinders which are similar in construction to the single drum winder and operate in a similar manner but in reverse, and the same problem of severing the web when transferring or splicing the web from an expired roll to a new roll has limited heretofore the use of the unwinder, particularly those of the type disclosed in US. Patent No. 2,486,006. After making the splice on this unwinder both webs travel together until the first web is exhausted from the expiring roll, and this method results in excessive waste because usually both webs are subsequently unusable for the length of the double thickness which may be considerable in high speed operation.

Therefore, further objects of this invention are to provide means in an unwinder for severing the moving web coming from an expiring roll immediately after a splice has been made from the expiring web to a new roll of material; to provide such means which result in a square cut on webs which may vary from very thin to thick, and to provide means of this character which are simple, inexpensive to make and install as integral parts of new unwinders and which also can be easily installed on existing unwinders in the field.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and drawings of which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a single drum winder like that shown in the copending application of MacArthur et al., Ser. No. 355,180, now Patent No. 3,258,217, in corporating the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of the same;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of FIGURE 2;

FIGURES 4 and 5 show side elevations of alternate embodiments of the invention; and

FIGURE 6 is a side elevation of a two-drum winder incorporating the present invention, and

FIGURE 7 is a similar view of a single drum unwinder embodying the invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, it will be understood that this shows one side of the machine and that references in the plural indicated that the particular item is du licated on the opposite side. The single drum winder consists of frames 10 upon which is mounted winding drum 11 journaled in bearing blocks 12 and driven by conventional known means such as motor 13 through sprocket 14, chain 15 and sprocket 16. Rotatably mounted on the outer portions of bearing blocks 12 are quadrants 17 which are rotated through an arc of about 105 degrees by means of connecting rods 18 and cranks 19 keyed to cross shaft 20, said shaft being rotated by means of gear motor 21. The upper portion of each quadrant 17 is cut away to form a seat for the winding mandrel 22 and its bearings 23 which are held in the seats by levers 24 and pins 25. Pins 25 are slidably mounted in quadrants 17 and have affixed to their lower ends cam rollers 26 which ride on stationary cam surfaces 27 mounted on bearings blocks 12. Levers 24 are pivotally mounted on the quadrants 17 and are actuated by means of fluid cylinders 28 whose lower ends are pivotedly mounted on the lower portion of the quadrants.

On top of frames 10 are tracks 29 providing support means for mandrel 22a in the winding position. Pressure is applied between the winding roll 30 and the drum 11 by means of rollers 31 rotatably mounted on arms 32 which are keyed to cross shaft 33. Pressure is applied to arms 32 through the medium of fluid cylinders 34 whose head ends are pivotally mounted on brackets 34 fixed to frames 10. Fixed to arms 32 are arms 35 at the end of which are pivoted arms 36 holding rollers 37 whose purpose is to move the finished wound roll away from the winding drum after the web is transferred to a new mandrel. Arms 36 are held in the position shown in FIGURE 1 by springs 38 and stop pins 39.

At the web entering end of the winder are mounted idler roll 40 and idler roll 41.

Fixed to side frames 10 and shown in enlarged views on FIGURES 2 and 3 are supports 42 extending vertically upwards from the frames and connected together at their tops by crosspiece 43. Fixed to the uprights and extending horizontally in the direction of the drum are brackets 44 on the outer end of which is located cross shaft 45 rotatable in bearings aflixed to brackets 44. Keyed to cross shaft 45 and separated from each other by a distance slightly greater than the maximum width of web run are knife support arms 46, at the outer end and between which is located knife support bar 47 and to which is rigidly attached serrated cutting knife 51. The knife support bar is held to the knife support arms by means of shafts 48 which are rigidly attached to the knife support bar and journaled in bearings in the knife support arms. Keyed to the outer ends of shafts 48 are knife actuating arms 49 at the extremities of which are rollers 50 whose purpose will be explained later. Except during the operation of severing the web, the knife and knife supp z t bar are retained in position against stops 52 fixed to arms 46 by springs 53 attached at one end to arms 46 and at the other to arms 49.

The knife support arms and the knife assembly is rotated through an arc of about degrees by means consisting of fluid cylinder 54 pivotally mounted at the head end to a bracket fixed to upright 42 and connected to lever arm 55 at the rod end. Lever arm 55 is keyed to short shaft 56 which rotates in bearings mounted on upright 42 and the motion of shaft 56 is transmitted to knife arm cross shaft 45 by means of chain sprocket 57 keyed to shaft 56, chain 58 and chain sprocket 59 keyed to cross shaft 45. The position of the knife support arms and the knife assembly in the furthest clockwise position is determined by the setting of adjusting screw 60 mounted on upright 42 and bearing against lever arm 55. It is not intended that the means of rotating the knife arm assembly be limited to the above since other known means may be used to accomplish the same purpose.

Operation of the machine is as follows assuming that a roll 30 is being wound in the normal winding position on mandrel 22a with the web entering the machine around idler rolls 40 and 41, passing over the winding drum 11 and winding up on roll 30'. Pressure is maintained between the winding roll and the drum by fluid cylinders 34 acting through arms 32 and rollers 31. Quadrants 17 are in the position as shown in FIGURE 1 in what is known as the load position. A new mandrel is prepared by applying adhesive to its surface if the web is to be wound directly on the mandrel or to the surface of the core mounted on the mandrel if cores are used. The mandrel is loaded into the seat of the quadrants where it is held by pins 25 slightly above the surface of the drum so that there is no contact between the mandrel and the moving web. Lever arms 24 are then lowered to hold the mandrel in place.

During the time of winding the knife assembly is held in its furthest counter-clockwise position by means previously described. When the winding roll 30 has reached the desired size and a transfer is to be made to the new mandrel, the knife assembly is rotated to its furthest clockwise position as shown in FIGURE 1, at which position the serrated knife is held out of contact with the moving Web by springs 53. Quadrants 17 are then rotated clockwise to the transfer position at which point the mandrel 22 contacts the moving web on the drum through the action of pins 25, cam rollers 26, and cam surface 27. Immediately prior to contacting the web, the journals of mandrel 22 contact knife actuating rollers 50 and as the mandrel continues to move downwardly the knife is pressed into the moving web, severing it and causing it to start wrapping on the mandrel, as shown in FIG. 2. The knife assembly is then rotated to its retracted position.

The finished roll 30 is then removed from the winder by moving arms 32 toward the discharge end of the machine whereby rollers 37 contact the mandrel bearings 23a and push the roll away from the drum. The quadrants are again rotated clockwise until the new mandrel bearings 23 are deposited on tracks 29 at which time arms 32 are returned toward the drum and contact the mandrel bearings as before. Lever arms 24 are opened and the quadrants rotated counter-clockwise to the original load position in readiness for the next transfer.

The controls for carrying out the various steps in the transfer may be manual or as fully automatic as desired and as they are well known in the art they will not be described.

It will now be noted that after severing the web the points of the serrated knife will contact the surface of the winding drum and it is preferred that the drum be hardened to prevent it being scratched or grooved. However, I have found that in many cases these scratches or grooves are not objectionable, and have no detrimental effect on the winding roll.

I have found that winders incorporating the present invention are able to sever and transfer webs varying from very light such as newsprint up to heavy board such as used for cup stock and milk cartons, and at web speeds in excess of 1000 feet per minute, with the leading edge of the web cut square and adhering to the core with no fold back or wrinkling. Multiple slit webs have been cut and transferred with no interleaving between the rolls being wound side by side.

Dependent upon type of web, size of mandrel, and web speed, it is at times necessary to provide means to accelerate the new mandrel to web speed prior to its contact with the drum at the transfer position. Means to accomplish this are known in the art and, therefore, are not shown here.

FIG. 4 shows an alternate embodiment of the present invention wherein the knife is pressed into the web by action of fluid cylinders 70. The cylinders are actuated at the proper time by means of a limit switch and electric valve in the fluid supply line.

Another alternate is shown in FIG. 5. The knife 51 is mounted directly to curved knife support arms 71 which have extensions 72 on their upper portion which contact the piston rods of air cylinders 73 which are fixed to uprights 42. In operation the arms are rotated clockwise to the ready position prior to the transfer where the arms are held in position by contact of the arm extensions 72 with the extended piston rods of cylinders 73 which are under pressure. At the time of transfer when the mandrel contacts the web the air is exhausted from the cylinders 73 by means of an electrical quick acting exhaust valve and since cylinders 54 are still under pressure the arms are moved at high speed into the cut position where the knife presses through the web, severing it and starts wrapping the web on the core.

The present invention may be incorporated in a double drum winder of the continuous type as shown in FIG. 6 where side frames 101 support back winding drum 102 and front winding drum 103 which form a cradle to support the winding roll 104 which is wound on mandrel 105. The mandrel is held and guided by half bearings 106 fixed to vertically movable carriages 107. The winding drums are driven by conventional known means not shown. A third or transfer winding drum 108 is journaled in arms 109 which are pivotally mounted about the axis of the front drum 103, said third drum also being driven by chain and sprocket or the like from the front drum. Arms 109 are rotated by means of gear sectors 110' and pinions 111 keyed to common cross shaft 112 which is driven by conventional means.

In operation the web 113- is led under and around transfer drum 108 over front drum 103 and winds up on roll 104 cradled between the front and rear Winding drums. In preparation for a transfer of the web to a new core, a new mandrel with core is loaded into bearing seats in mandrel bearing caps 114 which are then closed to hold the mandrel in transfer arms 115 which are in the load position as shown. At this time the core is held out of contact with the moving web and is prepared for the transfer by applying adhesive to its surface. The construction and operation are like those described in Patent No. 2,812,910.

Extending outwardly from main frames 101 are knife support brackets 117 at the end of and between which is rotatably mounted cross shaft 118 on which are keyed knife support arms 119 at the outer end and between which is located knife assembly 120, knife actuating arms 121 and knife actuating rollers 122, all as before. The knife arms and knife assembly are normally held in the retract position.

When the winding roll has reached its desired diameter and a transfer is to be made, the knife assembly is rotated by means not shown but similar to those described previously into the cut position adjacent to the front drum with the knife held out of contact with the moving web by spring 123. The transfer arms 115 holding the new mandrel are moved by air cylinders 116 in a direction perpendicular to the line connecting the centers of the transfer drum and the front drum into the transfer position so that the new mandrel is brought into contact with the moving web on transfer and front drums. Immediately prior to reaching this position the mandrel a contacts knife actuating rollers 122 and thereby presses the knife into the moving web, severs it and starts to wrap the web on the new core. The knife assembly is then rotated back to its original retract position.

Carriages 107 are now raised and fully wound roll 104 removed from the machine. Transfer drum arms 109 are rotated clockwise until the roll which is winding in the cradle of the transfer drum 108 and the front drum 103 is deposited in the cradle of the front drum 103 and the rear drum 102 at which time carriages 107 are lowered until the new mandrel journals are seated in half bearings 105. Mandrel bearing caps 114 are then opened, transfer arms returned to the load position and transfer drum arms rotated counter-clockwise to their original position at which time the transfer cycle is completed.

The incorporation of the invention in a single drum unwinder of the continuous type is shown schematically in FIGURE 7. The unwinder embodies generally the same parts as the single drum winder and the operation is similar to but the reverse of the operation of the winder. For clearness in illustration some parts that are shown in FIGURE 1 have been omitted in FIGURE 7 and other parts shown in FIGURE 1 are illustrated by dot and dash lines in FIGURE 7; and this figure shows the positions of the expiring roll and the new roll at the moment of the splicing operation.

In normal unwinding the roll of material supported on its mandrel is located on tracks 29 and held in contact with drum 11 by arms 32, as shown in FIGURE 1. The web is drawn under and around drum 11, over idler roll 151 and thence to subsequent processing. Drum 11 may be driven or braked as desired by conventional means to obtain the desired web tension. When roll 150 has unwound to a small diameter, it is engaged by the quadrants 17 and is moved in an are about drum 11 until it reaches the position as shown. Arms 32 are retracted and a full roll of material 152 is placed on the horizontal tracks and prepared with adhesive in a known manner. The knife assembly is then lowered to the position shown with the knife blade just out of contact with the moving web. When roll 150 is near exhaustion, roll 152 is rotated up to web speed by conventional means not shown, brought into contact with the moving web and the new web is spliced to the outrunning web by means of the adhesive on the new roll. As soon as the splice is made, the knife is actuated, in the manner hereinbefore described, severmg the expiring web so that a very short doubled portion of the web is produced, as compared with the excessively long doubled portions produced in, for example, the machine of Clem Patent No. 2,486,006.

I claim:

1. The combination with apparatus wherein a web is continuously longitudinally moved in one direction and passes around and in contact with a portion of the peripheral surface of a drum, of means for severing the web including a knife blade having a serrated cutting edge disposed transversely of said web, means mounting said blade on a support for movement toward and from said peripheral portion of said drum including a pair of arms pivotally mounted at one end on said support and having said knife blade pivotally mounted on their other ends, means for swinging said arms to move the blade with its cutting edge facing in the direction opposite to the direction of movement of the Web and momentarily holding the blade with its cutting edge in spaced proximity to said peripheral portion of the drum, and means operative while the blade is so hold for causing positive high velocity movement of the blade about its pivotal connection to said arms to force said serrated cutting edge into the Web on said portion of the drum.

2. The combination as defined in claim 1 with the addition of a mandrel upon which said web is to be wound, and mechanism for causing movement of said mandrel into contact with said web on said peripheral portion of the drum preliminary to Winding of the web on said mandrel, and wherein the last-named means includes a part engaged by said mandrel as it is so moved, for forcing the blade into the web.

3. The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein the last-named means includes fluid pressure operated devices mounted on said arms and connected to said blade to swing the blade about its pivotal connection to said arms.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,585,226 2/1952 Christman 24256.6 2,821,347 1/1958 Stephens 242--55.1 3,195,827 7/1965 Schowerer et al. 242--583 LEONARD D. CHRISTIAN, Primary Examiner. 

